NLN NEX Anatomy Practice Test

The pituitary gland acts as the master regulator because it releases hormones that control the activity of several other endocrine glands. Its anterior part (the adenohypophysis) sends out tropic hormones such that thyroid-stimulating hormone prompts the thyroid to make thyroid hormones, adrenocorticotropic hormone drives the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol and other steroids, and follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormones regulate the gonads. Prolactin supports lactation, and growth hormone influences growth and metabolism throughout the body. The thyroid, adrenal glands, and gonads respond to these pituitary signals, while the hypothalamus drives the pituitary via releasing and inhibiting hormones, creating feedback loops that fine-tune the entire system. The posterior pituitary, meanwhile, releases vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) and oxytocin, which are made in the hypothalamus and stored here for release, linking water balance and reproductive/parturition functions to this central control hub. Because it coordinates the activity of multiple other endocrine glands, the pituitary is described as the master gland.